The Magic had a chance to clean up the mess from Sunday night. Instead, the same problems followed them right back onto the floor.
Orlando dropped a 103-94 decision to Washington on Monday at Kia Center, falling to 0-4 at home and still searching for its first win in front of its own crowd. The game swung back and forth early - there were 11 lead changes between the Southeast Division teams - but the Wizards took control behind a big night from Anthony Davis, Kyshawn George and No. 1 overall pick AJ Dybantsa, who combined for 70 points.
Davis led Washington with 27 points, George added 22 and Dybantsa finished with 21. Afterward, Magic coach Sean Sweeney pointed to the Wizards’ work on that end of the floor.
“Credit to their team defense, they did a good job, especially in that second half,” Sweeney said about the Wizards after the loss. “Anthony Davis is a problem.
He showed it tonight. … Throughout the course of the game, he impacted a lot on both ends.”
Orlando got strong scoring from Franz Wagner and Desmond Bane, but not enough behind them. Wagner finished with 24 points and Bane had 20, while Jamal Cain and Tristan da Silva were the only other Magic players to reach double figures with 10 apiece.
The shorthanded Magic were already operating without Paolo Banchero (right high ankle sprain), Jalen Suggs (right knee bone bruise), Anthony Black (right ankle injury management) and Noah Penda (partially torn right hamstring). That left Orlando thin, and the result was another rough night: the Magic fell to 0-4 at home and 0-4 when scoring fewer than 100 points.
Both teams were loose with the ball, but Washington made enough plays when it mattered. Orlando shot 28% from 3-point range and turned it over 18 times, while the Wizards shot 38% from deep and committed 16 turnovers.
“Offensively, we had some opportunities and we just weren’t crisp with what we were trying to do at times,” Bane said. “Give (the Wizards) credit, they made the plays down the stretch and we didn’t.”
The loss closed out a quick back-to-back at Kia Center, and the Magic now turn to the road. They’re 2-5 overall and head to Phoenix on Thursday to open a four-game West Coast trip.
With Banchero, Suggs and Black unavailable, Sweeney started Jase Richardson and Cain alongside Bane, Wagner and Wendell Carter Jr. Cain, in his third career NBA start, opened with a made 3-pointer and hit two of his first three tries from the corners in the first quarter. But he also had four turnovers and never took another 3 the rest of the night.
Richardson had one of the game’s more eye-catching moments when he threw down a reverse dunk in transition less than a minute into the second quarter. He followed that with an and-one layup about a minute later, though he missed all four of his 3-point attempts and finished with seven points in 25 minutes.
Wagner was more efficient than he had been Sunday against Boston, when he went 5-for-20. Against Washington, he shot 6-for-9 in the first half and had 13 points by intermission. He picked up his third foul with 3:46 left in the third quarter, but still handed out six assists.
Bane knocked down four 3-pointers, but he also had four turnovers, including two in the opening quarter. Carter Jr. pulled down nine rebounds and scored six points in 34 minutes.
The turning point came after halftime. Orlando was down just one, 60-59, at the break, but Washington stretched the margin to 11 by the start of the fourth quarter, 79-68.
The Wizards held the Magic to 4-for-21 shooting in the third and outscored them 19-9 in the period. Orlando also went scoreless over the final 4:51 of the quarter.
“I thought we missed a couple good looks there in the third,” Wagner said. “Just got to make sure that we keep playing with confidence. It’s not going to be a perfect game.”
With the roster stretched thin, the Magic also leaned on two-way forward Alex Morales. He checked in at the 5:22 mark of the first quarter and quickly scored on a driving floater. In his eighth NBA appearance, Morales finished with three points and two rebounds in 14 minutes, though he also picked up two fouls in the opening quarter.
Monday also included a community effort around the game. In partnership with L3Harris Technologies, the Magic held Seats for Soldiers Night for the 23rd straight season, providing tickets for more than 2,500 active and retired military personnel and their families through the team, L3Harris and season ticket holders who donated seats.
For every ticket purchased, $5 went to the Homes for Our Troops program, which helps provide specially adapted custom homes for severely injured post-9/11 veterans. L3Harris and Carter also hosted organizations in Kia Center suites, and Carter welcomed military veterans from Orlando Veterans Affairs for a meal and team gear.
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